FISH AND FISHING. 



ALMANAC FOR SALT WATER FISHERMEN. 



The following will be found accurate and val- 

 uable for the vicinity of New York City: 



Kingfish^-Barb, Sea-Mink, Whiting. June to 

 September. Haunts: The surf and deep channels 

 of strong tide streams. Baits: Blood worms, 

 shedder crabs and beach crustaceans. Time and 

 tide: Flood, early morning. 



Plaice — Fluke, Turbot, Flounder. May 15 to 

 November 30. Haunts: The surf, mouth of tidal 

 streams. Baits: Shedder crabs, killi-fish, sand 

 laut. Time and tide: Ebb, daytime exclusively. 



Spanish mackerel— Haunts: The open sea, July 

 to September. Baits: Menhaden, trolling — metal 

 and cedar squids. 



Striped Bass — Rock Fish, Green Head. April to 

 November. Haunts: The surf, bays, estuaries and 

 tidal streams. Baits: Blood worms, shedder crabs, 

 Calico crabs, small eels, menhaden. Time and 

 tide. Night, half flood to flood, to half ebb. 



The Drums, Red and Black. June to Novem- 

 ber. Haunts: The surf and mouths of large bays. 

 Bait : Skinner crab. Time and tide : Day, flood. 



Blackfish — Tautog, April to November. Haunts: 

 Surf, vicinity of piling and old wrecks in bays. 

 Baits: Sand worm, blood worm, shedder crabs, 

 clams. Time and tide: Daytime, flood. 



Lafayette — Spot, Goody, Cape May Goody. 

 August to October. Haunts: Channels of tidal 

 streams. Baits: Shedder crabs, sand worms, clams. 

 Time and Tide: Day and night flood. 



Croker — July to October. Haunts: Deep chan- 

 nels of bays. Baits: Shedder crabs, mussels. 

 Time and tide: Day, flood. 



Snapper — Young of Blue Fish _ August to No- 

 vember. Haunts: Rivers and all tide ways. Baits: 

 Spearing and menhaden; trolling pearl squid. 

 Time and tide: Day, all tides. 



Sheepshead — June to October Haunts: Surf 

 and bays, vicinity of old wrecks. Baits: Clams, 

 mussels, shedder crabs. Time and tide: Day, 

 flood only. 



New England Whiting — Winter Weak-fish, 

 Frost-fish. November to May. Haunts: The 

 surf. Baits: Sand laut, spearing. Time and tide: 

 Night, flood. 



Hake — Ling. October to June. Haunts: Open 

 sea surf, large bays. Baits: Clams, mussels, fish. 

 Time and tide: Day and night, flood. 



Weak-fish — Squeteague, Squit. June to October. 

 Haunts: Surf, all tideways. Baits: Shedder 

 crabs, surf- mullet, menhaden, ledge mussels, sand 

 laut, shrimp. Time and tide: Day and night, 

 flood preferred. 



Blue Fish — Horse Mackerel. June to November 

 1st. Haunts: Surf, open sea and large bays. 

 Baits: Menhaden, surf mullet and trolling squid. 

 Time and tide: Daytime; not affected by tides. 



A BITTER ROOT BULL. 

 S. H. C. 



"And the biggest fish I ever caught was the 

 one that got away." — From the Opera, "Miss Bob 

 White." 



In the fall of 1900, while camped on the 

 Bitter Root river, above Hamilton, Mont., 

 I had the adventure of my life. We were 

 held up there 36 hours waiting for our 

 guides to finish preparations, for, as usual, 

 they were not ready on time. One of my 

 friends had been out the evening before and 

 caught some good trout, so that morning 

 T took a Bristol steel rod, an old line with 

 a leader and a cast of 3 flies on it. I fished 



down stream with varying success, picking 

 up a good sized trout here and there, until 

 about 24 of a mile below camp I came to a 

 swift riffle ending in a great black pool, in 

 which was some driftwood, including sev- 

 eral trees. Here was a place that should 

 produce good results. I waded out into 

 the current nearly up to my knees. I could 

 not venture farther, so I let my flies drift 

 into the silent pool. I would let them go 

 as far toward the driftwood as I dared, 

 then reel in. I had made 5 or 6 such casts 

 and had taken 3 fair sized trout. Finally I 

 fastened a good one and started to reel 

 him in. In a moment another struck and 

 hooked himself. I had not taken 6 feet of 

 line when something hit the tail fly, and 

 I thought I had fastened to a whale. It 

 was then that the real circus began. I had 

 3 fish on an old, worn line. Back and for- 

 ward, crosswise, endwise and every other 

 wise this tandem team went; but the big 

 fellow was on the end and that helped me, 

 the 2 smaller fish being governed mostly 

 by his movements. 



The minutes flew by and still the fight 

 went on. Finally I realized that the war 

 was entirely between me and the big trout. 

 The others were licked and had quit. My 

 flies were dressed on number 7 hooks, and 

 I worked carefully. My right hand and 

 arm had become so weary that I could no 

 longer support the rod, so abandoning the 

 reel, I grasped line and rod with both hands 

 and thus the fight went on. 



I had worked them to within 25 or 30 

 feet of me and held the big one up on the 

 riffle in the hope of drowning him. It was 

 my only chance. He arose to the surface 

 and his mouth was open. It looked as if 

 I could stick a wooden pail in it. I could 

 have shot him if I had had a pistol. 



I looked over my shoulder to see if any 

 help was in sight, but no one was there. I 

 dared not take any more line yet. 



Finally the climax came. The heavy 

 weight and the drag of the swift water 

 gradually tore the small hook out of his 

 mouth, and the monster floated slowly down 

 the stream. 



I reeled the 2 remaining fish in without 

 opposition. One was 9 inches long and the 

 other 11. One was dead, the other barely 

 able to wiggle his tail. 



I wended my way sadly back to camp, 

 debating with myself if I should tell the 

 story. I decided to tell it, and did so, and 

 as I expected, got the "merry hoot" from 

 the boys ; but one of the guides said : 

 "It is no fish story. I have seen bull trout 

 26 inches long taken out of this river. 

 That is what you had, and it takes a strong 



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